LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana's state health commissioner, is retiring at the end of the month.

Box, who led the Indiana Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be succeeded by Dr. Lindsay Weaver, who has previously served as the department's chief medical officer.

"It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve this administration, the Indiana Department of Health and Hoosiers across the state," Box said in a statement. "The past five-and-a-half years have been filled with challenges and opportunities unlike any that public health has ever encountered, and the public health workforce across the state has met those challenges with a heart and determination that have inspired me every day. I am incredibly proud of the work being done and will forever be grateful to those who continue to make improving the health and wellbeing of Hoosiers a priority."

Box was appointed state health commissioner in 2017. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb's office summarized her achievements as health commissioner into five key accomplishments:

  • Launching the Governor's Public Health Commission, charged with taking a critical look at Indiana's public health system and making recommendations for improvements
  • Advocating for a modernized public health system in Indiana through a sustainable funding mechanism to have a generational effect on Indiana residents
  • Implementing My Healthy Baby -- a statewide network of services and support to create healthier outcomes for both mothers and babies
  • Conducting a state initiative to prevent lead poisoning in children ages six years old and younger through accessible screenings
  • Leading the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, described as, "the most significant public health event in a century," and saving countless lives

"Dr. Box and I began discussing this inevitability nearly a year ago, and I'm so grateful she agreed to stay on to shepherd the state Department of Health's most ambitious legislative agenda yet," Holcomb said in a statement. "I respect no one more and am so pleased she'll get to enjoy her next chapter, which is focusing on her family. I could not have had a better partner in this role, especially in this time. She genuinely cares about the health and well-being of every single Hoosier, and because of her dedication to the betterment of our overall public health system, the state is at the forefront of transformational change that will result in a healthier Indiana."

Holcomb also lauded Weaver, calling her "another national all-star."

"Having worked closely with Dr. Weaver over the years, I know she too is committed to continuing our important work of assuring Hoosiers have awareness and access to public health services," Holcomb said. 

"Taking over the position of state health commissioner from Dr. Box is an enormous responsibility, and it is an honor to follow in her footsteps," Weaver said in a statement. "Dr. Box has provided exceptional leadership during the past six years and her commitment to public health has been an inspiration to many. I look forward to building on her legacy, implementing the recommendations of the Governor's Public Health Commission, and continuing to work toward a healthier Indiana."

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